Saturday 16 July 2011 19.04 EDT
First published on Saturday 16 July 2011 19.04 EDT

This is not just an Italian journey, it's a journey through Mozart's life: he did, after all, start writing Italian operas at the incredibly mature age of 12 (an aria from La finta semplice, his first, is included here). The fine tenor Jeremy Ovenden, who has sung most of the major Mozart roles all over Europe and is resident in la bella Italia, sings with an engaging commitment to these joyous creations, giving us terrific arias from, among others, Scipione, La finta giardiniera, Idomeneo, Don Giovanni and Così, accompanied with customary style by Jonathan Cohen and the glorious Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. A delightful selection.